THE PARIS EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9217, 21 November 1888, Page 5

THE PARIS EXHIBITION.

OUR MINERAL AND OTHER EXHIBITS. [from our own correspondent.] Wellington, November 19. I observe in a recent issue of the Hekald that the Mayor of your city and some other gentlemen are interesting themselves in securing an adequate representation of the mineral wealth of this colony at the Paris Exhibition, which is to be held on the oth of May next. The time is getting short for taking the necessary action, for the French Vice-Consul in Wellington (Count de Jouffray d'Abbans) recommends that the exhibits shall be despatched from the colony to France early in March. There is, therefore, but three clear months for preparation, and these are much interrupted by the Christmas and other holidays. The evidence given by the French Vice-Consul at Wellington, before the Goldtields and Mines Committee last session, should possess extraordinary interest for a mining community. He proved to my great surprise, ay well as satisfaction, that the French are more remarkable for their " mining enterprise " than any other European nation. French syndicates possess, and French engineers conduct, mining operations in every part of the world, except Australia and New Zealand, upon the lariat scale. He told the Parliamentary Committee that the effect of the Melbourne Exhibition would be to induce the "Credit Lyonnais," a French bank with a capital of ten millions of pounds, to invest money in mines " not only in Victoria but throughout all the Australasian colonies," and other French banks would probably do likewise. The Commissioner for the French Government (M. Errington de la Croix) made special inquiries of Sir Julius Haast when in England as to the existence of " tin ore " in New Zealand. Mr. Allen, a member of the committee, said there was " plenty of tin" in New Zealand. The witness advised the committee to send tin ore—also nickel, antimony, and every kind of mineral ore to the Exhibition, and he added that the exhibits sent would be purchased by French experts at a much higher price than could be got for them here or in any other part of the world. The witness handed to the chairman of the committee (Mr. Seddon) a schedule taken from the Journal Officiel of about thirty mines—gold mines, diamond mines, copper mines, and others worked by French capital and all paying handsome dividends. From 1850 to 1870 tho French invested £4,000,000 in mining enterprises, and from 1870 to 1884 upards of £2,000,000 more. They have mines in Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Cauada, in Central and South America. The French Rothschilds have £1,000,000 sunk in mines in Mexico alone. In Peru and Chili, in India, Tonquin, China, Borneo, they have mines yielding the precious metals in paying quantity. Nickel is a metal becoming more important and valuable every day, and the witness said New Zealand "should send to Paris exhibits of that if it had any. Exhibits of coal would also command the greatest interest, for even now the French men-of-war import their coal from Cardiff. Kauri gum is another article which would attract tho greatest attention from experts. Such is the general purport of the ViceConsul's evidence. Count D'Abbans drew attention also to dairy produce, and more especially cheese and fruit. He says :—" The fruit industry of California, which is mainly carried on by the French, is now worth £t)00,000. In dairy-farming the French have done a great deal by introducing many processes of fabrication unknown to Anglo-Saxons." He says : —" You produce some very good cheese here, but you have no variety. The French have introduced the methods of making from twenty to twenty-five varieties of cheese into California. Any kind of cheese made in Switzerland, Italy, or France is made in California. There is nothing to pre% T ent New Zealand doing the same, and she would be sure of a market, for these varieties, when imported from Europe, cannot very well stand the equator." The above will give a fair idea of the scope and purpose of the evidence given last session by tho French Vice-Consul in Wellington. It is full of suggestion as to the manner of preparing and placing the exhibits, as well as the proper persons to be consulted for displaying them to the greatest advantage. Those who are interested in exhibiting New Zealand products of whatever kind at the Paris Exhibition should read this evidence, which can be obtained on application to the Government printer.